Save Me
by InDiGo MaRcH
Summary: What happened: Jess enjoys a day with Miss Edmunds and Leslie dies. What should have happened: Jess abandons Miss Edmunds and saves Leslie. ONESHOT


**Save Me  
****A Bridge to Terabithia ONESHOT  
****By: Indigo March**

_**Note: It's been awhile since I've read the book and watched the movie, so I might get some things wrong, but what the heck! I'm writing this anyway! O.o **_

_**Then again, this is **_**MY**_** take on what should've happened, so I guess I can just roll with it. **_

**_Oh, and I have NO IDEA what inspired this. I guess I was bored..._**

_**Hmmmm…**_

_**Screw Miss Edmunds! Leslie pretty much **_**DIES **_**because of her!**_

**~*~*~**

"Ready to go, kiddo?" Miss Edmunds asked as Jess climbed into the passenger seat of her car. The boy didn't say anything as he looked over at Leslie's house, dark and quiet.

Miss Edmunds, oblivious to his sudden discomfort, cranked up the car and put it in drive. She was pulling out of the driveway when Jess happened to look back and see the front door of the Burke's house open and Leslie walk out, heading in the general direction of the creek where she would cross over into Terabithia.

"Hold on!" he said to his teacher, an unpleasant feeling in his stomach. "I've changed my mind."

"What?" said Miss Edmunds, looking surprised. "But, Jess, I thought you wanted to go to the art show?"

"I just…don't feel like it anymore."

"But it's the only one for quite some time—"

"It's no big deal," he said absentmindedly, watching Leslie's retreating back. "I've got something else to do."

"You sure?" she asked, looking sort of disappointed. "All right, then—"

"Bye, Miss Edmunds," he said, getting out of the car. "Thanks for the offer."

"All right, Jesse. See you at school Monday."

He closed the car door and took off at a run in the direction Leslie had gone, feeling a strange sensation spreading throughout his being—_magic_, he thought. Something bad is going to happen. He could feel it. It was the same feeling he got when the DarkMaster was up to something particularly sinister.

"Leslie!" he called when he reached the woods. "Where are you?"

When she didn't answer he became even more worried. Surely she wasn't _that_ far ahead of him?

He picked up his pace, feeling a sense of dread coming over him. The rain had flooded parts of the wood and if he looked real hard, he could see Leslie's bare footprints in the mud of the forest.

When he was nearing the creek, he suddenly heard Leslie scream and the sickening sound of a _snap_, like a tree branch breaking.

He ran forward, just in time to see Leslie's body hit the creek with a painful _slap. _He rushed to the side of the creek, looking for a place to get down closer to the water. When he saw none he held his hand out to the girl as her head broke the surface and she sputtered for air.

"Jess!" she screamed, in both fright and surprise. "Help me!"

"Grab my hand!" he said, stretching as far as he could to his best friend. Leslie's cold, wet hands grasped at his, but then slipped away as she was pushed under the angry and merciless water again. "LESLIE!" he yelled. He kicked off his shoes, preparing to jump when her head broke the surface once again. He leaned over as far as he could without falling, snatching at the hand she desperately reached towards him, grasping it tightly. He held on with all his strength, pulling with all his might.

"I can't hold on!" she sobbed, terrified.

"You—have—to!" he choked, trying to haul her up. Her soaking clothes weighed her down as she tried to kick her feet, trying to find leverage against the side of the gorge.

Her cold, wet hand was beginning to slip from his grasp. "No!" he snarled through his teeth, attempting to plant his sliding feet more firmly. He reached out with one hand to grasp another tree branch, holding onto Leslie's slippery hand with the other. _"No!"_

Just when he felt for sure his arms would give out, he felt two strong _fingers _wrap around him and haul him _and_ Leslie out of the way and away from the creek. Leslie cried out in fear, hugging her best friend around the neck and sobbing against his chest. Jess, too, had silent tears coursing down his cheeks as he held the shivering girl in his arms. He gaped up at their savior.

The friendly giant that ironically resembled Janice Avery smiled down at them in concern. She cocked her head to the side as she watched them.

"T-thank you," Jess stuttered. "T-thank you so much."

The giant grinned happily and he watched in awe as she stepped easily over the entire creek, disappearing into Terabithia.

"Leslie?" he whispered in concern.

"Y-you saved me, Jess," she whispered back, her voice strangled.

"Actually the giant did—"

"Thank you, you came for me."

"I'm your King," he said firmly. "It's my job."

"JESS!" an all-too-familiar voice called, echoing around the presently silent wood.

He sighed. "May Belle…"

Leslie smiled weakly, hugging him tightly. "I love you, Jess, you know that, right?"

"Erm…"

"Oh, come on! You know you love me too! Otherwise you wouldn't have saved me."

"I would've saved you anyway. You're my best friend—"

"And best friends love each other."

"LESLIE!"

She sighed. "May Belle…"

They both laughed, glad to be alive.

**~*~*~**

**Well, that sure was cheesy!**

**REVIEW!!!**

**:D**


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